"Electric guitar makers are seeing their sales steadily plummet. Leading guitar companies Fender and Gibson are both in debt; Fender was forced to abandon a public offering in 2012, and Gibson’s annual revenue fell from $2.1 billion to $1.7 billion over just the last three years."

On a side note, the other day, the people representing Fender in my country told me: "Fender doesn't give guitars to their endorsers, even Eric Clapton buys his guitars". This could be the reason why most of the greatest new era guitarists are using alternative brands, don't you think so? Tell me if I'm wrong but this is not a good move for a brand.

But getting back to the main topic, what do you think about the articles?

No they are not. As I said in the other thread about this, Gibson and Fender are seeing sales fall, but that is not true for electric guitar sales overall. The whole article is based on a false premise. It searches for a reason for why sales are falling, but they are not falling.

No they are not. As I said in the other thread about this, Gibson and Fender are seeing sales fall, but that is not true for electric guitar sales overall. The whole article is based on a false premise. It searches for a reason for why sales are falling, but they are not falling.

Is there any evidence for what you are saying?

To me the article sounds quite reasonable given the many new guitar vendors in the last decades that want to sell their guitars and the big three are a pretty good indicator for the market.If I look back one or two decades and see how easy it is possible to make music nowadays on a computer without the need of learning an instrument - it is a big change with a lot of new chances and a challenge for instrument vendors.

Also I can follow the "no real guitar hero for the young generation" argument. Don't get me wrong I do not like the idea either but that is how industries change.

As a NAMM member, I have access to the NAMM global sales report for 2016. I can tell you electric guitar unit sales were roughly 1 million for each year from 2010 to 2015. There might be a slight downward trend, but unit sales are certainly not plummeting as was reported in the article. Dollar sales volume has actually increased over that period.

This bit of falseness is being peddled by a nefarious global group called the Keyboard Consortium. After decades of planning, the Keyboard Consortium has finally managed to get personelle to infiltrate numerous news outlets. The group's goals are simple. First, discourage interest in playing the guitar so that in the future there are less and less talented guitar players who become professional musicians. Second, as music groups begin to find it harder and harder to find guitarist to join the band they will do what needs to be done to create music and have to employ more keyboardists. Third, as keyboardist take over more and more bands, more and more people will want to play the keyboard in order to become rock stars. This whole ploy then starts a cycle from 1 to 2 to 3 then back to 1 again. This cycle self enforces itself like a deadly cyclone until few, if any, guitarists will be left. And at that point, any guitarist alive will be relegated to the back left of the stage, covered by lights and stage props, completely invisible.

To start this nefarious plan in order to supplant guitarists in music, the Keyboard Consortium must make the public believe that people have lost interest in the guitar and that guitar sales are falling. This is the first test of the struggle and we guitarists must rise to the conflict.

Defeating the Keyboard Consortium is easy. Buy more guitars. It is a duty. A calling. A heroic endeavor. Surely our loved one's will understand and join us arm in arm as we increase out stock and fill our band rooms with six string magic. The fate of guitarist across the globe rely on our selfless sacrifice against the Keyboard Consortium. We, humble guitarist, could be the reason the next Vai, Satriana, or Virtuoso picks up the guitar to blaze across the stage.

So buy more guitars. Not one or two. But five or ten. Gleaming slim rockets or fat body darlings. The future is up to us.

I wonder why the original article failed to include the actual namm data?

QUOTE (Rammikin @ Jun 28 2017, 11:14 AM)

No they are not. As I said in the other thread about this, Gibson and Fender are seeing sales fall, but that is not true for electric guitar sales overall. The whole article is based on a false premise. It searches for a reason for why sales are falling, but they are not falling.

Fender has rarely ever given instruments to professionals or even super stars. Usually the deal is 50% of the retail price. They have 'presented' signature models to the artists and in the very beginning Leo gave a few teles and strats to working players to test and critique the instruments. Fender has always sold more guitars than gibson.

That whole article is kind of BS.Musical instrument sales in general are down.

This bit of falseness is being peddled by a nefarious global group called the Keyboard Consortium. After decades of planning, the Keyboard Consortium has finally managed to get personelle to infiltrate numerous news outlets. The group's goals are simple. First, discourage interest in playing the guitar so that in the future there are less and less talented guitar players who become professional musicians. Second, as music groups begin to find it harder and harder to find guitarist to join the band they will do what needs to be done to create music and have to employ more keyboardists. Third, as keyboardist take over more and more bands, more and more people will want to play the keyboard in order to become rock stars. This whole ploy then starts a cycle from 1 to 2 to 3 then back to 1 again. This cycle self enforces itself like a deadly cyclone until few, if any, guitarists will be left. And at that point, any guitarist alive will be relegated to the back left of the stage, covered by lights and stage props, completely invisible.

To start this nefarious plan in order to supplant guitarists in music, the Keyboard Consortium must make the public believe that people have lost interest in the guitar and that guitar sales are falling. This is the first test of the struggle and we guitarists must rise to the conflict.

Defeating the Keyboard Consortium is easy. Buy more guitars. It is a duty. A calling. A heroic endeavor. Surely our loved one's will understand and join us arm in arm as we increase out stock and fill our band rooms with six string magic. The fate of guitarist across the globe rely on our selfless sacrifice against the Keyboard Consortium. We, humble guitarist, could be the reason the next Vai, Satriana, or Virtuoso picks up the guitar to blaze across the stage.

So buy more guitars. Not one or two. But five or ten. Gleaming slim rockets or fat body darlings. The future is up to us.

EPIC Post!!! Now I have a new excuse for buying new guitars!!!!!

Let's destroy Keyboardmasterclass.net!!!!!!

QUOTE (Rammikin @ Jun 28 2017, 01:03 PM)

As a NAMM member, I have access to the NAMM global sales report for 2016. I can tell you electric guitar unit sales were roughly 1 million for each year from 2010 to 2015. There might be a slight downward trend, but unit sales are certainly not plummeting as was reported in the article. Dollar sales volume has actually increased over that period.

Maybe you can't offer this info but I wonder which are the guitar brands that are selling more guitars...